What are you using for chroma keying software?

[Tim Bickford]

I was just wondering what folks are using for chroma keying these days. I've tried the chroma key that comes with premiere pro cs3 and after effects 7.0 - I just could not get good results. In most cases my green screen was lit perfectly too. I would rather not key in after effects. I'm not very good at getting around in that program.

I've been using Ultra-2 (the serious magic version). Although the software is a bit quirky and non intuitive it does produce a really good key. The down side is that you have to export uncompressed (HUGE FILE) when exporting your key with an alpha channel. The exported file (with alpha channel) bogs P-Pro down so much that you can't run a smooth clip even after you render.

I've been doing my keying and adding my background in Ultra-2. I export to a Cineform .avi file. A little cumbersome at times... however, it produces the best key so far.

Has anyone tried the adobe version of Ultra-2? Is it much different than the serious magic version? I've looked around of Adobe's site. I can't figure out how to download just the trial version of Ultra-2.

[Dean Sensui]

I'm using Primatte from Red Giant Software. When properly shot in HD the keys are nearly perfect.

Host programs:

Adobe After Effects CS3, 7
Apple Final Cut Pro 6, 5.1.4

Apple Motion 3.02

Avid Xpress Pro/Media Composer 5.5, 5.6 / 2.6, 2.7

[George Kroonder]

Primatte is great, especially together with the Key Correct plug-ins.

I've also used The Foundy's Keylight which comes for free with After Effects CS3. You can buy it for AE7 (but it's cheaper to upgrade your AE). For incidental use you can also rent it for $3.50 per day or less.

Both Red Giant Software and The Foundry have demo's available.

George/

[Tim Bickford]

Yes... I figured AE is probably the way to go. It's too bad the Premiere Pro CS3 does not have a decent Keyer.

Thanks...

[Matt Davis]

Originally Posted by Tim Bickford

I was just wondering what folks are using for chroma keying these days.

Whilst this won't really help you or PC editing folk, I'm using DVmatte Pro, which is GPU accelerated and fits snugly into Final Cut Pro and Motion. It produces a clean key on a wide range of material. It works through a combination of three things:

- Combination of chromakey and detail matte to pull as much detail out of DV/HDV/XDCAM-HD footage as possible

- Standard chromakey with a bit of chroma rebuilding for 4:2:0 and 4:1:1 footage

- Difference matte between empty bgd and the same with your talent in shot (only works if that's how your shot is planned)

I get a low resolution real-time preview of 1080p keyed on a MacBook Pro, and maybe around 5:1 render time.

I have a job on currently that the client requires 38 mins (!!!) of finished chromakeyed footage ("Here's the selects - which bits do you like?" "All of it!"), all filmed at 1080p and required as PAL DVD. If it wasn't for DVmatte Pro, I'd be facing a weeks worth of render...

[Tim Bickford]

I have been using ULTRA-2 with some good results. I have to do all my keying in ULTRA-2 first. I then bring it into P-Pro-CS3. With some practice you can get some really good keys. However, it's a heck of a lot cleaner just to key and bring in your backgrounds right in ULTRA-2. Otherwise... creating a clip with an alpha channel becomes very HUGE.

[Roger Akers]

Using ULTRA 2 here as well. With a little tweaking it can look serviceable. Here's an example of something I processed with it.

http://videos.webpronews.com/2008/07...keting-aspect/

Ultra 2 with an animated background.
Vegas 8.0b [Neo HD cineform codec]
Flash render with Sorenson Squeeze 5

[Paul R Johnson]

Another vote for Ultra, although support is much worse now that Adobe took them over.

[Daniel Raebiger]

Can anyone recommend a plugin for premiere cs3 besides Boris Continuum plugins? (very good results but terrbily!! slow)

thanks!

[Tim Bickford]

I used an old version of Serious Magic Ultra-2 for this project.

Haunted Overload on blip.tv

95% of the keying was performed in Ultra-2

5% was done with boris.